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Leavenworth, Kansas
|population_as_of = 2010 |population_est = 35891 |pop_est_as_of = 2013 |pop_est_footnotes = |population_total = 35251 |population_density_sq_mi = auto |population_density_km2 = auto |timezone = CST |utc_offset = -6 |timezone_DST = CDT |utc_offset_DST = -5 |postal_code_type = ZIP codes |postal_code = 66043, 66048 |area_code_type = Area code |area_code = 913 |blank_name = FIPS code |blank_info = 20-39000 |blank1_name = GNIS feature ID |blank1_info = 0478411 |website = LVKS.org |footnotes = }} Leavenworth is the largest city in and the county seat of Leavenworth County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 35,251. Located on the west bank of the Missouri River northwest of Kansas City, Missouri, it is part of the Kansas City metropolitan area. The site of Fort Leavenworth, the city is known in American history for its role as a key supply base in the settlement of the American West. It is also famous for being the location of several prisons, particularly the United States Disciplinary Barracks and United States Penitentiary, Leavenworth. History Leavenworth, founded in 1854, was the first incorporated city in Kansas. The city was directly south of Fort Leavenworth, which was established as Cantonment Leavenworth in 1827 by Colonel Henry Leavenworth. Its location on the Missouri River made it a destination for slaves seeking freedom from the slave state of Missouri. Abolition supporters helped them find refuge. In the years before the American Civil War, Leavenworth was a hotbed of anti-slavery and pro-slavery agitation, often leading to open physical confrontations on the street and in public meetings. The fort was located outside the city limits of Leavenworth until it was annexed by the city on April 12, 1977. In 2008, an underground series of "vaults" was found, apparently built over from the late 19th century. Geography Leavenworth is located at (39.3111112, −94.9224637) at an elevation of 840 feet (256 m). Located in northeastern Kansas at the junction of U.S. Route 73 and Kansas Highway 92 (K-92), Leavenworth is northwest of downtown Kansas City, south-southeast of Omaha, and northeast of Wichita. The city lies on the west bank of the Missouri River in the Dissected Till Plains region of North America's Central Lowlands. Four small tributaries of the river flow generally east through the city. From north to south, these are Quarry Creek, Corral Creek, Three Mile Creek, and Five Mile Creek. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which, is land and is water. Fort Leavenworth occupies the northern half of the city's area. Leavenworth, along with the rest of Leavenworth County, lies within the Kansas City metropolitan area. It borders another city, Lansing, Kansas, to the south. Climate Lying in the transition zone between North America's [[humid subtropical climate|humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa)]] and [[humid continental climate|humid continental climate (Köppen Dfa)]], Leavenworth typically experiences hot, humid summers and cold, drier winters. On average, January is the coldest month, July is the hottest month, and June is the wettest month. The average temperature in Leavenworth is 55 °F (13 °C). Over the course of a year, temperatures range from an average low of in January to an average high of in July. The high temperature reaches or exceeds an average of 43 days per year and reaches or exceeds an average of four days per year. The minimum temperature falls below the freezing point an average of 107 days per year. The hottest temperature recorded in Leavenworth was 110 °F (43 °C) in 1954; the coldest temperature recorded was -27 °F (-33 °C) in 1989. In an average year, Leavenworth experiences 89.7 days with measurable precipitation and receives of precipitation. Typically, the first fall freeze occurs by the third week of October, and the last spring freeze occurs by the second week of April. Annual snowfall averages . Measurable snowfall occurs an average of eight days per year with at least an inch of snow being received on five of those days. Snow depth of at least an inch occurs an average of 15 days a year. Severe thunderstorms sometimes occur, particularly during the spring months. These produce strong winds and, sometimes, large hail. These storms also bring the risk of tornadoes. Demographics }} 2010 census As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 35,251 people, 12,256 households, and 8,129 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,466.2 people per square mile (566.1/km²). There were 13,670 housing units at an average density of 568.6 per square mile (219.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 75.4% White, 15.1% African American, 0.9% American Indian, 1.8% Asian, 0.2% Pacific Islander, 2.0% from other races, and 4.6% from two or more races. Hispanics and Latinos of any race were 8.1% of the population. There were 12,256 households of which 34.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.7% were married couples living together, 13.2% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 33.7% were non-families. 28.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.55, and the average family size was 3.15. The median age in the city was 34.8 years. 26% of residents were under the age of 18; 8.5% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 31.6% were from 25 to 44; 23.9% were from 45 to 64; and 10% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 53.9% male and 46.1% female. The median income for a household in the city was $49,823, and the median income for a family was $61,576. Males had a median income of $49,693 versus $30,888 for females. The per capita income for the city was $23,102. About 9.8% of families and 12.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.4% of those under age 18 and 10.0% of those age 65 or over. Economy As of 2010, 58.6% of the population over the age of 16 was in the labor force. 7.8% was in the armed forces, and 50.8% was in the civilian labor force with 47.0% being employed and 3.8% unemployed. The composition, by occupation, of the employed civilian labor force was: 34.5% in management, business, science, and arts; 22.8% in sales and office occupations; 23.2% in service occupations; 8.4% in natural resources, construction, and maintenance; 11.0% in production, transportation, and material moving. The three industries employing the largest percentages of the working civilian labor force were: educational services, health care, and social assistance (22.7%); public administration (15.6%); and retail trade (13.0%). The U.S. military at Fort Leavenworth is the city's largest employer, employing roughly 5,600 people, followed by Leavenworth Public Schools and the Department of Veteran Affairs Eastern Kansas Health Care System. The cost of living in Leavenworth is below average; compared to a U.S. average of 100, the cost of living index for the city is 87.1. As of 2010, the median home value in the city was $124,200, the median selected monthly owner cost was $1,282 for housing units with a mortgage and $428 for those without, and the median gross rent was $762. Government Leavenworth is a city of the first class with a commission-manager form of government. The city commission is the city's governing body and consists of five members, including the mayor and the mayor pro-tem. It sets city policies, adopts the city government's annual operating budget, and appoints city boards, commissions, and officials, including the city manager. Commissioners are elected to either four-year or two-year terms, one is appointed to serve as mayor, and another to serve as mayor pro-tem. The commission meets on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month. The city manager is the city's chief executive, responsible for the day-to-day administration of the city government. The manager supervises all city government departments and employees, prepares and proposes the annual operating budget, and recommends policies to the city commission. As the county seat, Leavenworth is the administrative center of Leavenworth County. The county courthouse is located south of downtown at 4th and Walnut Streets, and all departments of the county government base their operations in the city. Leavenworth lies within Kansas's 2nd U.S. Congressional District. For the purposes of representation in the Kansas Legislature, the city is located in the 5th district of the Kansas Senate and the 40th, 41st, and 42nd districts of the Kansas House of Representatives. The United States Department of Veterans Affairs operates the Dwight D. Eisenhower Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Leavenworth as part of its Eastern Kansas Health Care System. The Medical Center includes a Consolidated Mail Outpatient Pharmacy (CMOP), part of an initiative to provide mail-order prescriptions to veterans using automated systems at strategic locations throughout the United States, as well as the Central Plains Consolidated Patient Account Center (CPAC), a billing and collection agency. Fort Leavenworth Fort Leavenworth, known as the "Intellectual Center of the Army", is home to the U.S. Army Combined Arms Center. It is also currently home to the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, School of Advanced Military Studies, the Center for Army Leadership, the Combat Studies Institute, the Combined Arms Doctrine Directorate, the Center for Army Lessons Learned and the Mission Command Center of Excellence. Prisons Leavenworth is the home of multiple detention centers and prisons: * United States Penitentiary, Leavenworth (USP) built in 1903, and its satellite prison camp, operated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons * United States Disciplinary Barracks, the U.S. military's only maximum-security facility * Midwest Joint Regional Correctional Facility, another U.S. military facility * Leavenworth Detention Center, privately operated by the Corrections Corporation of America for the United States Marshals Service In addition, Lansing Correctional Facility, operated by the Kansas Department of Corrections is in the adjoining town of Lansing, Kansas. Education over the Missouri River between Leavenworth and Platte County, Missouri (2006)]] Primary and secondary education Two public school districts serve the city. Fort Leavenworth USD 207 encompasses Fort Leavenworth and operates three elementary schools and one junior high school. The remainder of the city lies within USD 453, Leavenworth Public Schools, which operates six schools: four elementary schools, one middle school, and Leavenworth High School. USD 453 also operates Leavenworth Virtual School, an Internet-based school for students from grades Kindergarten through eighth grade. Senior high school students from Fort Leavenworth attend Leavenworth High School. There are also three private schools in Leavenworth. The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas oversees two Catholic schools: Xavier Elementary School (Grades Pre-K-8) and Immaculata High School (9-12). The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod operates one Lutheran school, St. Paul Lutheran School (Pre-K-8). Colleges and universities The main campus of University of Saint Mary, a four-year, private Catholic university, is located in Leavenworth. In addition, Kansas City Kansas Community College operates a satellite campus in the city. Media The Leavenworth Times, published by GateHouse Media, is the city's daily newspaper. Gatehouse Media also publishes the The Fort Leavenworth Lamp, a weekly newspaper covering local military news, on contract with the U.S. Army. Leavenworth is in the Kansas City radio and television markets. Two radio stations are licensed to the city: KKLO broadcasts from Leavenworth on 1410 AM, playing a Religious format; KQRC-FM broadcasts from Mission, Kansas on 98.9 FM, playing a Rock format. Parks and recreation The Leavenworth Parks and Recreation Department maintains a system of more than 25 public parks as well as Riverfront Community Center, which includes an indoor cardio room and pool, and Wollman Aquatic Center. An off-leash dog park near the Dwight D. Eisenhower Veterans Affairs Medical Center was built with public donations in 2010. Culture Arts and music The Richard Allen Cultural Center and Museum contains items and artifacts from the African American pioneers and members of the military, including the "Black Dignity" collection of 1870s-1920s photographs from the Mary Everhard Collection. Leavenworth enjoys year-round plays and musicals performed by a community theater group, the River City Community Players. Military Many of Leavenworth's residents are current or former members of the military. Two Medal of Honor recipients live here as of 2014, Ret. Col. Roger Donlon and Ret. Lt. Col. Charles C. Hagemeister. Leavenworth High School boasts the very first Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps in the country. A parade is held each year on Veterans' Day in downtown Leavenworth to honor veterans. Leavenworth has an active Byron H. Mehl American Legion Post #23 and Veterans of Foreign Wars George Edward White Post 56. Points of interest Leavenworth has a 28-block historic shopping district, which includes antique shops, restaurants, a brewery and an old-fashioned Corner Pharmacy with a lunch counter. Leavenworth is home to the C.W. Parker Carousel Museum, listed as one of the "8 Wonders of Kansas Customs" by the Kansas Sampler Foundation.C.W. Parker Carousel Museum The National Fred Harvey Museum is located in the former Harvey family residence and honors Fred Harvey who was known for his chain of Harvey House lunch rooms developed along the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway during the 19th Century. Additionally, the Leavenworth County Historical Society maintains a museum at the Carroll mansion, a Victorian-era mansion that is open to the public for touring. Haymarket Square is a covered lot where a local farmer's market takes place from May to October. Religion Leavenworth enjoys a diverse religious tradition stemming from its military and international military influences. In the mid to late 19th century, Leavenworth had one of the largest Jewish communities in Kansas.http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/9695-leavenworth Leavenworth had multiple orthodox congregations by 1870, many of these Jews ultimately intermarried and over generations became Christian.http://web.ku.edu/~ksreligion/docs/history/judaism.pdf Leavenworth is part of the Archidocese of Kansas City, Kansas, which is responsible for four Catholic parishes in Leavenworth. There are two United Methodist Churches, the First United Methodist Church and Trinity United Methodist Church. Other religions include Lutheran, Southern Baptist, American Baptist, African Methodist Episcopalian, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, United Church of Christ, Community Church of Christ, Church of the Nazarene, Grace and Truth Fellowship, Assemblies of God, Presbyterian, Seventh-Day Adventist and the Islamic Center of Leavenworth. A few churches conduct services in Hangul. Many Leavenworth residents also attend services on Fort Leavenworth, which has one of the second largest Catholic U.S. military congregations. Notable people Notable individuals who were born in and/or have lived in Leavenworth include: * Daniel Read Anthony, abolitionist, newspaper publisher, mayor in 1863, brother of suffragist Susan B. Anthony * Chet Brewer, baseball player, scout and manager * David Josiah Brewer, United States Supreme Court Justice, 1890–1910 * Hilda Clark, American actress and model * Buffalo Bill Cody, soldier, buffalo hunter and wild west showman * Harold Coyle, author * Robert E. Davis, Kansas Supreme Court Justice * Neil Dougherty, basketball coach * Dwight D. Eisenhower, 34th President of the United States, served at Fort Leavenworth * Melissa Etheridge, musician * Marie Guiraud, Colorado rancher, lived briefly in Leavenworth * Fred Harvey, prolific restaurateur * Wild Bill Hickok, soldier, lawman, gunfighter * Ron Logan, former Executive Vice President of Walt Disney Entertainment * Sean Malto, Pro Skateboarder * Andrew Nisbet, Jr., member of the Washington House of Representatives and United States Army officer * Wayne Simien, basketball player (Miami Heat) * Randy Sparks, Musician, Entertainer (New Christy Minstrels) * Elizabeth Vargas, television journalist (ABC) *William Merrell Vories, missionary and entrepreneur Sister cities * Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, Australia * Ōmihachiman, Japan See also * National Register of Historic Places listings in Leavenworth County, Kansas * List of National Historic Landmarks in Kansas References Further reading ;County * History of Leavenworth County Kansas; Jesse Hall and LeRoy Hand; Historical Publishing; 684 pages; 1921. (Download 27MB PDF eBook) ;Kansas * History of the State of Kansas; William G. Cutler; A.T. Andreas Publisher; 1883. (Online HTML eBook) * Kansas : A Cyclopedia of State History, Embracing Events, Institutions, Industries, Counties, Cities, Towns, Prominent Persons, Etc; 3 Volumes; Frank W. Blackmar; Standard Publishing Co; 944 / 955 / 824 pages; 1912. (Volume1 - Download 54MB PDF eBook),(Volume2 - Download 53MB PDF eBook), (Volume3 - Download 33MB PDF eBook) External links ;City * City of Leavenworth * Leavenworth - Directory of Public Officials * Leavenworth Area Development Corporation * The Leavenworth-Lansing Area Chamber of Commerce * Underground City Beneath Leavenworth ;Federal * US Army Combined Arms Center and Fort Leavenworth ;Schools * USD 453, local schol district ;Historical * Leavenworth County Historical Society ;Maps * Leavenworth City Map, KDOT Category:Cities in Kansas Category:County seats in Kansas Category:Kansas City metropolitan area Category:Cities in Leavenworth County, Kansas Category:Settlements established in 1854 Category:Kansas settlements on the Missouri River Category:Leavenworth, Kansas